On the Mind Body Connection

Have you ever just sat down and thought about how amazing the human body is? It is a wonderfully complex machine capable of so many things. How variable the human body is continues to confound scientists, and certainly will continue to confound scientists for generations to come.

Sometimes I wonder if the only limits the human body has is the mental limits we set upon it.

Take Roger Bannister for instance. For a very long time people thought that running a 4 minute mile was impossible. Maybe it was improbable because no one had ran a mile that fast up to that point, but certainly not impossible because on May 6th, 1954 Roger Bannister proved it could be done.

We are now reaching another milestone in running history. Since 1908 the world record for the marathon has dropped from 2:55 (breaking 3 hours was a big deal then too) to an all time low of 2:03:38 set by Patrick Macau on September 25th, 2011. We are now close to seeing a sub 2 hour marathon which many people thought would have been impossible up to recent times.

Another amazing person is Wim Hof. He has set many records associated with extreme cold including a 1 hour 44 minute ice bath. He has also run a full marathon in -20 degree temperatures in only shorts, and ran a full marathon in the desert without water. He attributes his amazing abilities to his meditation techniques. Keep in mind that any three of these records he holds would probably kill or severely injure someone else, if they could even finish them.

This just includes what people can do with their bodies alone and not technology. With technology we can do so many more amazing things. One of my favorite daredevils is Jeb Corliss who is known for “flying” dangerously close to the ground in what we would call a “flying squirrel” suit. One of his most famous videos is called Grinding the Crack where he flies off a mountain and down through a canyon hence the name, “Grinding the Crack.”

I don’t mention all these people to inspire you to do similar things or even to achieve similar records. I mention all these people to inspire you to achieve the goals you set for yourself. Maybe you just want to get in shape or lose a few pounds. Maybe you just want to be able to be healthy enough to participate in a sport or hobby. Your mind can lead the way.

Read their stories… Be inspired… Get out of your house and do your thing, whatever it may be…